Improvement in sleeping-cars



FRANCIS W. PARSONS,

- PATENT OFFICE.

on CLEVELAND, onro.

IMPROVEMENT IN SLEEPING-CARS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 116,746, dated July 4, 187.1.

To all rwhom it may concern:

Be itV known that I, FRANCIS W. PARSONS, of Cleveland, in the county of Cuyahoga and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Sleeping-Cars, of which the folA lowing is a description, reference being had to the accompariying drawing making a part of this specification.

Figure l, plate 1, is a side elevation of a section of a sleeping-car having the bed arrangement put in order for use as a night-car. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same. Fig. 3 is an end view. Fig. 4, plate 2, is a side elevation of a section of a sleepingcar with the bed arrangement put away and in use as a daycar. Figs. 5, 6, 7, and 8 are detached sections, to which reference will be made.

Like letters of reference refer to like parts in the different views.

rlhe nature of this invention relates to the bed arrangement of a sleeping-car; and the especial object thereof is to so dispose of the bed appurtenances of the car when not in use that they shall not occupy any portion of the upper section of the car and thereby disigure the room, but make it more spacious, commodious, and establish a better circulation of air for ventilation. as will hereinafter be more fully described.

In the drawing, Fig. 1, Arepresents one side of a sleeping-car, in which B B are the seats. It will be observed that the backs ofthe seats are placed together and that the ends and back of each seat form a deep recess, C; Lengthwise between the backs of the seats is iitted a slidingpanel, D, Figs. 1 and 3, a detached view of which is shown in Fig. 5. The upper edge of said panel is provided with a wide cap, E, which serves as a cover to the recesses C, and a rail to the backs of the seats when said panel is down, as shown in Fig. 4. To the under side of the cap is hinged one end of a jointed bed-bottom, F, at the point a., Fig. 1, whereas the opposite end is secured to the under side of the cap of the sliding panel of the next seat at the point a by means of the hooks G, Fig. 5, inserted in a slide, H, Fig. 6, attached to the under side of the cap and operated by the ngenpiece I. Said slide H is let in the wood and therein secured by the bands H', under which it slides in direction of the arrow on beingpulled by the finger-piece I, which allows thehooks G to engage the end of the bed-bottom. The reverse movement of the slideis caused by a spring placed in connection therewith under the plate f, Fig. 1. This device, or any other appropriate one, may be used for the purpose. rlhe bed-bo.tto1n, when thus extended and secured in position for use, is shown in Fig. 1, and a top view of the same in Fig. 2, and which is the4 upper one of the two beds. The bottom of the lower bed is also constructed in sections and jointed to each other, as shown at J, Fig. l, whereby it can be folded up for being packed away in the recess C back of the seat, in the same manner as the bottom F above described. K, Fig. 3, is a section of wiregauze, or its equivalent, which, when the upper beds are made up, forms the lower part of the partition between them, whereas the curtains L, to which the gauze is attached, form the upper part, as shown in said Fig. 3. Said gauze, when not in use as a partition, is folded up back of the curtain, as indicated by the dotted lines g, when the curtains are turned back and used as the drapery for the windows, as shown, for the daycar. The space under the two seats is inclosed, forming a bunk, IVI, Figs. 1 and 2, in which the mattress and bed-clothes are placed when not in use, as shoim in Fig. 4, in which N is the mattress, represented as being folded up and stowed away therein. Said mattress is constructed in sections which are connected to each other by a web, whereby it can be folded into a small compass for the convenience of being laid away in the bunk.

Having thus described the construction and arrangement of the device for a sleeping-car, I will now proceedto describe the manner of adjusting or making up the same for sleeping purposes or night-car, and which is as follows: As above said, Fig. 4 represents the car as a day-car, when the bed arrangements are taken down and placed away. Now, in order to prepare the beds for use the upholstered seats and backs O O', which are supplementary to the stationary backs of the seats, are removed and folded one upon the other and laid upon theoor of the car between the seats, as shown in Figsl, in which O O represent the two upholstered seats and backs of the same. It will be observed that the back and cushion of each seat are connected to each other by a hinged joint, P, Fig. l, (also shown in Fig. 8,) which admits of their being folded one upon the wother, as shown in the drawing, in which it will be seen that the section of the joint attached to the seat is longer than that section thereof atv tached to the back, the purpose of which is to allow for the thickness of the upholstery, so that the back will lie hat upon the cushion of the seat. On the removal of the supplementary backs, &c., the sliding panels D are then raised, as shown in Fig. 1, by hand or otherwise, and which are secured in this position by means of a button, b, Fig. l. The curtains are now swung out from the window, they being attached to the side of the car by swing-brackets Q, and on which they are hung. The gauze K attached to the curtains is now secured to the rib along the top of the cap by meansrof hooks and eyes c, which, together with the curtains, form a partition between the ends of the adjacent beds. The upper bed is now made by extending` the bottom F from its respective recess to the position shown in Fig. l, and then secured in the manner above described. The mattress and clothes for the bed are now taken from the bunk, in connection with the seat B, and arranged upon the bottom F. The bottom J for the lower bed is now taken from its respective recess of the seat B in vwhich lit is placed, as indicated by the dotted lines C', and extended from one seat to the other, as shown. Said bottom rests uponcleats, indicated by the dotted lines 7L, Fig. 3, extending' across the lower part of the backs ofthe seats. The mattress and bed-clothes are taken from the bunk in connection with the seat B and the bed made up in the usual way,

thereby completing` the work of making up the beds, Sto., for a night-car, and which, when no longer needed, are taken down and the several parts rearranged to the order from which they were taken, as shown in Fig. 4. in which it will be seen that the partition-curtains form the necessary drapery for the windows R during the day. In the sill of the central window is iitted a mirror, S, which, when not required for use, is dropped into the wall of the car, as indicated by the dotted line e.

In this arrangement of the sleeping-car much more room is obtained in the corners directly above the upper bed, as the upper corners of the car are not taken up for the closets in which to place away the bedding, as in the ordinary car; hence a better circulation of air for ventilation is had throughout the room, and which is also rendered much more beautiful in appearance as a day-car.

A further advantage resulting from this arrangement is that all the weight of the bedding and xtures therefor is placed away when not in use upon the licor, or near thereto, of the car, hence there is exerted much less strain upon the frame-work of the body of the car than when the bed devices are stowed away in the upper corners of the room in the ordinary way, which makes the car top-heavy and more liable to tip over than when all the bed-furniture is stowed away near the floor, as in my car. This is also true to a considerable extent when the car is in use as a nightcar, and there is much less weight in this style of car than in an ordinaryT sleeping or palace-car.

lhat I claim as my improvement, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. The arrangement of the seats B, sliding panel D, cap E, bed-bottoms F J, curtains Il, and wire-gauze K,`substantially in the manner as described, and for the purpose specified.

2. rIhe swinging' brackets Q, curtains L, and

.wire-gauze K, as arranged in relation to the windows R and sliding panel D, in the manner as and forthe purposes set forth.

3. The slide II and the hooks G, as arranged in the cap of the sliding panel D, and operated inthe manner substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

FRANCIS W. PARSONS.

Witnesses:

J. H. BURRIDGE, W. H. BURRIDGE. 

